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Special Situations for Use and Disclosure of Medical Information

In addition to the categories contained under "How the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke May Use and Disclose Medical Information You," Holyoke reserves the right to use or disclose your medical information in the following special situations:

Organ and Tissue Donation:

If you are an organ donor, Holyoke may release medical information to organizations that handle organ procurement on organ, eye or tissue transplantation or to an organ donation bank, as is necessary to facilitate the organ or tissue donation and transplantation.

Military and Veterans:

If you are, or were, a member of the armed forces, Holyoke may release medical information about you as may be required by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This disclosure is necessary for the Department of Veterans' Affairs to determine if you are eligible for certain benefits.

Public Health Risks:

Holyoke may disclose medical information about you for public health activities. These activities generally include the following:

to prevent or control disease, injury, or disability;

to report deaths;

to report abuse or neglect;

to report reactions to medications or problems with products;

to notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition; or

to notify the appropriate governmental authority if we believe a veteran has been the victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure when it is required or authorized by law.

Health Oversight Activities:

Holyoke may disclose medical information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include audits, investigations, inspections and licensure. The Soldiers' Home in Holyoke is inspected from time to time by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO); the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Public Health (DPH). These entities are a few but not all the entities, which may provide inspections or licensure. These investigations, audits, and inspections are necessary for the federal and state government to monitor the health care system, governmental programs and compliance with civil rights laws.

Lawsuits and Disputes:

Holyoke may disclose medical information about you in response to a lawsuit or a dispute only if required by a court or administrative order. Holyoke may disclose medical information about you in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process made by someone else involved in the dispute but only if efforts have been make to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.

Law Enforcement:

Holyoke may release medical information if asked to so do by a law enforcement official:

in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons or similar process;

about the victim of a crime if, under certain limited circumstances, we are unable to obtain the person's agreement;

about a death which is believed may be the result of criminal conduct;

about criminal conduct at the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke;

to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person; and

in emergency circumstances to report a crime; the location of the crime or victims; or the identity, description or location of the person who committed the crime.

Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors:

Holyoke may release medical information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to determine the cause of death. Holyoke may also release medical information about patients of the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties, if we are so authorized by you.

National Security and Intelligence Activities:

Holyoke may release medical information about you to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counter intelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.

Protective Services for the President and Others:

Holyoke may disclose medical information about you to authorized federal officials so they may provide protection to the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state or conduct special investigations.